Perry is a jerk

[JourneyHard]

Perry is the greatest singer ever, but he is a jerk. Let me count the ways.

1. In 1978, Journey’s manager Herbie Herbert told Neal and Gregg that Perry was the new lead singer of Journey. Neal and Gregg hated Perry, but Herbie told them to get over it. In 1993, Perry fired Herbie Herbert. Only a jerk would do this to the one man who fought to get him in the band in the first place.

2. In 1985, the band was working on the Freedom album. Perry had a hissy fit and scrapped all the material they were working on. Perry fired Steve Smith and Ross Valory. In 1986, Perry forced the band to release Raised on Radio which was a glorified solo album that featured his singing and put Neal’s guitar in the background. In the middle of the hard rock 1980’s, Raised on Radio lacked the rockers that fans expected from Escape and Frontiers. Only a jerk would do this.

3. In the early 1990’s, Perry was touring in support of his For the Love of Strange Medicine album. He stopped the tour and called Jonathan Cain and told him that we have to make a new Journey album. In 1996, Trial by Fire was released. The band was pumped to tour, but Perry had a sneaky plan. Perry faked a hip injury in Hawaii and said he couldn’t tour. Then the band grew tired of waiting for Perry so they signed off on a deal with Perry that allowed them to move forward, but Perry would get a percentage of all future albums and all future tours. Perry had the dream job. He could stay at home and do nothing, but get paid as though he was part of the band. Only a jerk would do this. But you have to hand it to him. He is a sneaky bastard.

4. After Trial by Fire was released, Perry added When You Love a Woman to Journey’s Greatest Hits. The last thing that album needed was another ballad. Message of Love would have been a better fit. And if there is room for another song, why not add Stone in Love?

5. In 2022, Perry tinkered with Separate Ways. Perry took out all of Neal’s guitars. Only a jerk would do this. The new version of the song was released and featured in Stranger Things. Neal should do a new instrumental version of Who’s Cryin’ Now. Take out Perry’s vocals and just jam on the guitar for the whole song. Come on, Neal. Do it. You can jam the way you wanted to jam before Perry told you to do a gentle solo.

6. Worst of all, Perry teases, “I think of touring every day.” He knows he will never tour, but he loves to tease fans because he gets off knowing the world wants him to tour. He could bring happiness to so many people by touring, but instead he sits at home and gets off knowing people want him to tour. He is a real jerk.

[Marabelle]

What's the saying, you sometimes get what you think you want. But everything that glitters is not gold.

[Monker]

3. In the early 1990’s, Perry was touring in support of his For the Love of Strange Medicine album. He stopped the tour and called Jonathan Cain and told him that we have to make a new Journey album.

This is propaganda and completely untrue. In the early 90s, Journey was writing with Kevin Chalfant and Gregg Rollie. There were even interviews where Perry was asked about it and he got angry (Karrang! Was the magazine). Then there was a meeting on a canceled FTLOSM Florida date that decided the direction of the band. After that Neal was commenting publicly about getting Perry back in the band. How could the idea have come from Perry calling Jonathan when Neal was already publicly talking about it? Sony agreed to release two more FTLOSM singles if he joined Journey...THAT is what got Perry involved. He was already canceling tour dates due to bronchitis so canceling the rest of the tour was not suspicious at the time.

In 1996, Trial by Fire was released. The band was pumped to tour, but Perry had a sneaky plan. Perry faked a hip injury in Hawaii and said he couldn’t tour.

I don't think anyone knows if Perry "faked" the injury itself...but at that time, every time he told the story it was different. It was mountain climbing. It was 'hiking" or 'biking' depend on what you heard on the radio. It was an 'injury', then it was some type of arthritis, then it landed on 'degenerative bone disease'. I don't think anyone knows what the complete truth is. All we know is he refused to "fix it" and tour. And, yeah, surgery is not a band decision. But, firing him because he refused to tour IS a band decision.

Then the band grew tired of waiting for Perry so they signed off on a deal with Perry that allowed them to move forward, but Perry would get a percentage of all future albums and all future tours. Perry had the dream job. He could stay at home and do nothing, but get paid as though he was part of the band. Only a jerk would do this. But you have to hand it to him. He is a sneaky bastard.

I don't think it's 'sneaky' to have the smarts to hire good lawyers to get him the best deal possible. And, he had the upper hand. The band wanted him out, so what were they willing to trade for it? And, Perry gets a portion of all earned revenue...it's easier to say that then breaking it down to tours, album sales, merchandise, and miscellaneous.

4. After Trial by Fire was released, Perry added When You Love a Woman to Journey’s Greatest Hits. The last thing that album needed was another ballad. Message of Love would have been a better fit. And if there is room for another song, why not add Stone in Love?

So what. It was a hit...it SHOULD be there. Maybe "Message of Love" should be there, too. Actually, IMO, "Higher Place" should be there, too...especially since it was a Sony release.

5. In 2022, Perry tinkered with Separate Ways. Perry took out all of Neal’s guitars. Only a jerk would do this. The new version of the song was released and featured in Stranger Things.

That version and how it was used was awesome. It was GREAT PR for the band. It was a gift to them...and I did not hear any of the band complaining. Maybe if Neal and Jonathan had not sold their publishing rights they would have more say in these things. It would be nice if they did "Only the Young" for next season...but I would like it to be a better then what was released a few months ago.

Neal should do a new instrumental version of Who’s Cryin’ Now. Take out Perry’s vocals and just jam on the guitar for the whole song. Come on, Neal. Do it. You can jam the way you wanted to jam before Perry told you to do a gentle solo.

Uh, they already did a new version of WCN...it's on the rerecords that was with Revelation, LOL. The simple truth is that I doubt anybody would care if there was an instrumental version...the last half of the song is an instrumental anyway! And, to put it on Stranger Things, or ANY video, they would need Perry's permission, LOL.

6. Worst of all, Perry teases, “I think of touring every day.”

That's a quote from like 20yrs ago. Let it go. I have not seen Perry teasing touring in a very, very long time.

[Journey/Survivor]

Perry is the greatest singer ever, but he is a jerk. Let me count the ways.

1. In 1978, Journey’s manager Herbie Herbert told Neal and Gregg that Perry was the new lead singer of Journey. Neal and Gregg hated Perry, but Herbie told them to get over it. In 1993, Perry fired Herbie Herbert. Only a jerk would do this to the one man who fought to get him in the band in the first place.

2. In 1985, the band was working on the Freedom album. Perry had a hissy fit and scrapped all the material they were working on. Perry fired Steve Smith and Ross Valory. In 1986, Perry forced the band to release Raised on Radio which was a glorified solo album that featured his singing and put Neal’s guitar in the background. In the middle of the hard rock 1980’s, Raised on Radio lacked the rockers that fans expected from Escape and Frontiers. Only a jerk would do this.

3. In the early 1990’s, Perry was touring in support of his For the Love of Strange Medicine album. He stopped the tour and called Jonathan Cain and told him that we have to make a new Journey album. In 1996, Trial by Fire was released. The band was pumped to tour, but Perry had a sneaky plan. Perry faked a hip injury in Hawaii and said he couldn’t tour. Then the band grew tired of waiting for Perry so they signed off on a deal with Perry that allowed them to move forward, but Perry would get a percentage of all future albums and all future tours. Perry had the dream job. He could stay at home and do nothing, but get paid as though he was part of the band. Only a jerk would do this. But you have to hand it to him. He is a sneaky bastard.

4. After Trial by Fire was released, Perry added When You Love a Woman to Journey’s Greatest Hits. The last thing that album needed was another ballad. Message of Love would have been a better fit. And if there is room for another song, why not add Stone in Love?

5. In 2022, Perry tinkered with Separate Ways. Perry took out all of Neal’s guitars. Only a jerk would do this. The new version of the song was released and featured in Stranger Things. Neal should do a new instrumental version of Who’s Cryin’ Now. Take out Perry’s vocals and just jam on the guitar for the whole song. Come on, Neal. Do it. You can jam the way you wanted to jam before Perry told you to do a gentle solo.

6. Worst of all, Perry teases, “I think of touring every day.” He knows he will never tour, but he loves to tease fans because he gets off knowing the world wants him to tour. He could bring happiness to so many people by touring, but instead he sits at home and gets off knowing people want him to tour. He is a real jerk.

Were you reading the Journey book "Worlds Apart?"

I don't know how it's possible to read the stuff about Perry in that book (If it's all true) and not come to the obvious conclusion that Perry is a complete asshole?

[Journey/Survivor]

On a separate note...

Do any of you know if any of the members of Journey are known for forcing YouTube to remove Journey content? There's a lot of awesome Journey stuff on YouTube that I hope stays on there for a long time.

[Pelata]

To me, Perry is the GOAT. He could sing the Russian phone book and I'd buy it.

That said, from interview footage, he always seemed to me to be a bit of a diva...maybe more than a bit.

The way I've understood the working relationship, is that Neal & Jon handle current line-up business while Perry is in control of legacy business (remastering, etc).

[Monker]

The way I've understood the working relationship, is that Neal & Jon handle current line-up business while Perry is in control of legacy business (remastering, etc).

During the last round of lawsuits, Perry filed a complaint about Neal trying to trademark Journey album titles and song names. Perry's lawyers said that the band agreed that such things had to be approved by all three of them (Perry/Schon/Cain), and that both Schon and Cain sold their rights away years ago so they could NOT trademark them anyway.

So, I don't think it is agreed that things are that way...instead, it seems the contracts give Perry the ability to control such things. Obviously, Schon/Cain would release almost anything because it would make them money...but Perry saying 'no' can stop it...and Perry has no control over any 'new' Journey.

[Loneman1]

Since it does appear Perry is the first to contact Sony or vice-versa about the legacy archival remasters and whatnot, I wish an event would happen that was big enough to get Journey's name back in the pop culture conversation for a minute or two. That way Perry would have a good reason to follow up on that ROR concert release he talked about waaaay back in like 2005 or whenever he remastered the Houston '81 show. I wish I could find the interview, but he said he had interest in putting out a DVD for the ROR tour as well, but as history shows that was ultimately a pipe dream. I wonder if he even might have had a certain show in mind? I guess all of them would be open for a closer look at the footage quality since Sony has all of the Nocturne video feeds?

[Pelata]

Since it does appear Perry is the first to contact Sony or vice-versa about the legacy archival remasters and whatnot, I wish an event would happen that was big enough to get Journey's name back in the pop culture conversation for a minute or two.

If 'The Sopranos' and 'Stranger Things' didn't do it, nothing will.

[Monker]

Since it does appear Perry is the first to contact Sony or vice-versa about the legacy archival remasters and whatnot, I wish an event would happen that was big enough to get Journey's name back in the pop culture conversation for a minute or two.

If 'The Sopranos' and 'Stranger Things' didn't do it, nothing will.

I think both of those things DID get Journey attention. Also, around the same time as Stranger Things, "Open Arms" was on Cobra Kai. But, Journey failed to capitalize on any of it, except for more touring. But, I'm sure all of that will change with M and Paula managing the band. Not.

[Pelata]

Since it does appear Perry is the first to contact Sony or vice-versa about the legacy archival remasters and whatnot, I wish an event would happen that was big enough to get Journey's name back in the pop culture conversation for a minute or two.

If 'The Sopranos' and 'Stranger Things' didn't do it, nothing will.

I think both of those things DID get Journey attention. Also, around the same time as Stranger Things, "Open Arms" was on Cobra Kai. But, Journey failed to capitalize on any of it, except for more touring. But, I'm sure all of that will change with M and Paula managing the band. Not.

Those things come and go so fast, though. By the time they planned and put together something besides more shows to capitalize on it, the mass conscience has moved on to something else. They might have seen a short-term bump in ticket or "Greatest Hits" sales...but that'd be about it.

[Loneman1]

Since it does appear Perry is the first to contact Sony or vice-versa about the legacy archival remasters and whatnot, I wish an event would happen that was big enough to get Journey's name back in the pop culture conversation for a minute or two.

If 'The Sopranos' and 'Stranger Things' didn't do it, nothing will.

I think both of those things DID get Journey attention. Also, around the same time as Stranger Things, "Open Arms" was on Cobra Kai. But, Journey failed to capitalize on any of it, except for more touring. But, I'm sure all of that will change with M and Paula managing the band. Not.

And therein lies the problem. Every time they get a decent blip going on the radar they don't act on the free promotion and get a new release of some sort going. At the very least you'd think Sony would be a little quicker thinking since it sounds like they only need to talk to Perry about releasing archival material and he's seemingly always up for polishing up the old stuff. Hell, a digital download would even go pretty far bypassing all the physical promotion hassle.

[Aaron]

I've never met the man. He is the GOAT for male vocalist IMHO.

I have a friend that I respect that met Steve on a Hawaii cruise back in the early 90's. He said it was a small group and he was just trying to be cordial and Perry was the biggest dick on the planet.